Personal computers have recently become very popular for a variety of uses ranging from home, office, engineering, sales, marketing, and military applications. Virtually every aspect of business, engineering and science utilizes some form of computer system on a daily basis. Since their introduction, personal computers have become increasingly compact while simultaneously becoming increasingly powerful. This progression of smaller and more powerful personal computers has reached the point that some personal computer manufacturers are providing a tablet personal computer, or “tablet PC.”
The tablet PC is a fully functional personal computer, which may include a Microsoft Windows® operating system environment computer. The tablet PC not only is capable of running familiar productivity applications such as Microsoft's Word®, Excel® and PowerPoint®, but also offers the same rich connectivity to the Internet that a desktop or notebook PC provides.
In addition, the tablet PC adds the simplicity of pen and paper, because the user you can write on the screen for data input. The tablet PC is designed to work well with all types of input devices. However, those who find it most attractive are typically business computer users who spend some part of their day away from their desks. These users not only desire the use of the pen operating system, but also frequently have uses for which the traditional keyboard provides the best input device. For example, today's tablet PC provides effective handwriting recognition software. However, for longer documents and other applications, a keyboard provides the most efficient means for data input.
Unfortunately, using a keyboard requires the tablet PC user to carry the keyboard while moving from place to place. The need to carry along the keyboard, however small or compact, militates against the advantages of using the tablet PC. Accordingly, there is a need for a device that eliminates the requirement of carrying a keyboard in the mobile use tablet PC.
Now, even if a keyboard were carried, the mobile tablet PC user needs a practical way to view the tablet PC. This requires raising the base unit screen from the horizontal. So, a still further disadvantage exists associated with key-based data entry into the tablet PC of having to carry not only a separate keyboard, but also a separate stand or support for the tablet PC screen while the user's hands engage the keyboard. Accordingly, a further need exists for an efficient way to permit a tablet PC user to input data into the table PC via a keyboard, without the need to carry a separate stand that permits viewing the tablet PC during data entry.